Unique | AI big Anthropic hires ex-Chuck Schumer, Eric Adams staffer amid ‘woke’ claims

Anthropic has tapped an ex-staffer for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and outgoing Mayor Eric Adams for a high communications position – even because the AI big scrambles to fend off allegations that it’s too “woke,” The Put up has realized.

The fast-growing tech startup has recently sought to fix a rapport with the Trump administration broken by its ties to Democratic megadonors, clashes with White Home AI czar David Sacks and a September dustup after it reportedly barred the feds from utilizing its AI instruments for some regulation enforcement functions.

Maxwell Younger, a longtime Democratic operative, took over as Anthropic’s head of coverage communications in November.

One tech coverage adviser who requested anonymity mentioned the rent was a head-scratcher given Anthropic’s precarious place with Republicans.

“Given Anthropic’s deep, deep bench of left-leaning workers, and the corporate reportedly eager to make good with the present administration, it’s a curious transfer to carry on one more Democrat proper now,” the adviser mentioned.

Anthropic’s head of exterior communications Christopher Nulty confirmed Younger’s rent and mentioned the corporate has “employed greater than two dozen folks from all political backgrounds because the starting of 2025 to fulfill the wants of our world enterprise” because it grows in dimension.

“Max, who led related work at Pfizer, will assist us make the case for commonsense, bipartisan AI insurance policies like baby security protections, good export controls, and defend America’s lead in AI,” Nulty mentioned in a press release to The Put up.

Younger’s stint as communications director for the mayor’s workplace included a dustup in February 2022 after Politico revealed that Adams, who had beforehand claimed to be a vegan, ordered fish at numerous eating places across the metropolis.

Younger adamantly advised the outlet that Adams doesn’t eat fish – just for Hizzoner to confess a few days later that he does. The incident was mockingly dubbed “FishGate” on social media.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who was notably absent when tech CEOs swarmed the White Home in first months of the Trump administration, has lately taken a extra hands-on strategy.

Amodei traveled to Washington on Thursday and met with key Trump administration officers and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to debate AI coverage issues, together with export restrictions and nationwide safety considerations, a supply near the scenario mentioned.

As The Put up beforehand reported, Amodei additionally attended a dinner in Japan with Trump in October and firm officers have lately briefed the White Home on their plans for for a privately-funded AI compute and power technique.

Anthropic declined to touch upon the Washington journey.

Younger spent years working in Schumer’s press workplace – as a press secretary from 2007 to 2012 and as his communications director from 2012 to 2014. He left Schumer’s group in 2014 however twice returned as a senior communications adviser in 2018 and 2020.

His advisory work with Schumer included serving to to craft the Senate Judiciary committee’s messaging across the contentious affirmation listening to for Supreme Court docket Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in accordance with Politico.

From 2022 to 2023, Younger labored as Mayor Adams’ director of communications, the place he oversaw a group of about 40 staff, in accordance with his LinkedIn profile.

Younger spent the previous three years outdoors of the political world on the pharmaceutical big Pfizer, the place he was a vp of coverage communications.

In the meantime, Anthropic famous that it lately fashioned an advisory council that features former Trump administration officers and mentioned it hires based mostly on experience slightly than political affiliation.

That hasn’t stopped criticism from Sacks, who has accused Anthropic’s management of being “AI doomers” and “dedicated leftists” who’ve engaged in fear-mongering about AI security in order that they’ll form rules to its liking.

Main tech firms have incessantly employed from the political ranks to bolster their coverage groups in recent times. That features OpenAI, which tapped former Clinton aide Chris Lehane to function its chief world affairs officer and former Biden official Liz Bourgeois as its head of coverage communications, amongst others.

Most the AI trade is pushing for a federal regulatory framework that may supersede state-level legal guidelines. President Trump is amongst those that have expressed assist for a so-called federal AI preemption.

Whereas Anthropic has mentioned it additionally prefers a federal regulatory framework for AI, it has notably damaged with rivals to endorse state-level measures, together with California’s SB 53, which might require security frameworks for cutting-edge “frontier” AI fashions.

Anthropic has strongly denied any rift with the Trump administration and mentioned it’s aligned with the White Home’s views on various AI insurance policies, together with its AI Motion Plan.